Remote reading outdrive tilt indicator

ABSTRACT

An upright staff whose lower end is attached to the inboard end of an outdrive-steering cable assembly of the type including a transom-mounted ball-and-socket joint through which the cable assembly passes. The lower staff end is attached to the cable assembly adjacent but spaced from the ball-and-socket joint and raises and lowers as the adjacent portion of the steering cable assembly raises and lowers in response to tilting of the outdrive assembly. The upper end of the staff projects through a small opening in a deck portion of the transom and may have indicia thereon for registry with the upper surface of the transom deck portion for indicating the tilt of the outdrive unit.

United States Patent [72] Inv n or K n h W. Wise 2,969,764 1/1961 Meyer 115/41 P.O. Box 309, Walla Walla, Wash. 99362 2,979,017 4/1961 Soper 1 l 5/17 [21] A PP 014,569 3,014,450 12/1961 Castellanos 1 16/132 [22] Filed Feb. 26, 1970 3,461,832 8/1969 Wierling 115/41 45 Pt ted A .241971 1 3 en Primary Examiner- Louis J. Capozi Attorneys-C1arence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson [54] REMOTE READING OUTDRIV E TILT INDICATOR 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Fsa ABSTRACT: An upright staff whose lower end is attached to the inboard end of an outdrive-steering cable assembly of the U-S. ty e in luding a transom nounted ban and-socket joint 1 15/41 116/28- 1 16/132 through which the cable assembly passes. The lower staff end II- attached to the cable assembly adjacent but spaced from [he of M 1 l4, ball and ket joint and raises and lowers as the adjacent 281 1 3 l 9/310; 3/126, 126-5; portion of the steering cable assembly raises and lowers in 1 15/17 41 response to tilting of the outdrive assembly. The upper end of the staff projects through a small opening in a deck portion of [56] References Cited the transom and may have indicia thereon for registry with the UNITED STATES PATENTS upper surface of the transom deck portion for indicating the 1,165,186 12/1915 Leap .I 116/31 tilt ofthe outdrive unit.

Patented Aug. 24, 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

Kennefh W. Wise Patented Aug. 24, 1971 3,601,082

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig .2 20

50 I F/g 3 n [2 ,J. 34 20) I6 o Kenneth Wv Wise IN VIzN'I (IR REMOTE READING OUTDRIVE TILT INDICATOR The outdrive tilt indicator of the instant invention has been designed to provide a means whereby the tilt of one form of outdrive assembly may be readily ascertained by the operator of a boat glancing rearwardly at the upper deck portion of the transom from which the outdrive assembly is supported.

Some outdrive units may be trimmed or adjustably tilted during operation and other outdrive units may be tilted only when the outdrive unit is not being operated to apply a forward thrust to the associated boat. However, there are times when it is beneficial for the operator of a boat to be able to readily ascertain whether either type of outboard drive as sembly is tilted.

Accordingly, it is the main object of this invention to provide an outdrive tilt indicator which may be readily incorporated into the manufacture of existing boats as well as readily added to existing boat-mounted outdrive units.

Another object of this invention is to provide an outdrive tilt indicator which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to install so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in installation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view of the stern portion of a boat hull from which a conventional form of outdrive assembly is supported and with the outdrive tilt indicator of the instant invention operatively associated with the outdrive steering cable assembly for rendering a visual indication at the upper surface of the transom of the boat as to the inclination of the outdrive about its horizontal tilt axis;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the assemblage illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 1 but with the outdrive assembly in a rearwardly and upwardly tilted position; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing through the center of the indicator staff portion of the tilt indicator.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral generally designates a boat hull which includes opposite sides 12 interconnected by means of a bottom 14 and a transom 16. The transom 16 includes an upper horizontal deck portion 18 which also extends between the sides 12 and a conventional outdrive assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 20 is supported rearward of the transom 16.

The outdrive assembly 20 is pivotable about an upstanding axis for steering purposes and a steering cable assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 22 is provided for oscillating the outdrive assembly about its upstanding axis of oscillation. The cable assembly 22 includes a flexible cable assembly 24 consisting of a flexible outer housing 26 and a flexible inner core 28 which is longitudinally shiftable through the housing 26. The end of the flexible cable assembly 24 remote from the outdrive assembly 20 is opcratively connected to a suitable steering control (not shown) for reciprocation of the core 28 in response to opposite helm positioning of the steering control.

The steering cable assembly 22 includes a ball-and-socket assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 30 and which is supported from the housing 16. The outer housing 26 is attached to the ball portion of the assembly 30 and the adjacent end of a piston rod 32. The rod 32 is also secured to the ball portion of the assembly 30 and the rod 32 is tubular. The core 28 extends through and is longitudinally shiftable in the tubular rod 32 and the rear end of the tubular rod 32 has an outer cylinder or bearing sleeve 34 telescoped thereover and the end of the bearing sleeve 34 remote from the ball-andsocket assembly 30 is attached to the outdrive assembly 20 as at 36 by means of a pivot fastener. Further, the end portion of the core 28 extending through the tubular rod 32 is attached or anchored to the end of the bearing sleeve 34 remote from the ball-and-socket assembly 30. Accordingly, forward shifting of the cable 28 in the housing 26 will cause the outdrive assembly 20 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 of the drawings and rearward shifting of the core or cable 28 through the housing 26 will cause clockwise pivoting of the outdrive assembly 20 as viewed in FIG. 2.

The outdrive assembly is supported from a mount portion 38 comprising a part thereof for oscillation about a horizontal transverse axis and the mount portion of the outdrive assembly 20 is supported for oscillation about an upstanding axis relative to the transom 16. An electric motor 40 is drivingly connected between the mount 38 and the tiltable portion of the outdrive assembly 20 andis therefore operative to tilt the outdrive assembly 20 from the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings'to the raised position thereof illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings. However, when the outdrive assembly 20 is tilted in a manner to raise the lower end thereof, the portion of the flexible cable assembly 24 disposed adjacent but forward of the ball-and-socket assembly 30 is lowered in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings.

The tilt indicator of the instant invention comprises an upstanding staff 42 whose lower end is pivotally attached to the housing 26 by means of a pivot fastener 44. The upper end of the staff 42 projects through an opening 46 provided in the upper deck portion 18 of the transom 16. The opening 46 has i a grommet 48 secured therein and the grommet 48 guidingly receives the upper end of the staff 42 therethrough.

The upper terminal end of the staff 42 has a rounded enlargement 50 thereon and the portion of the staff 42 shiftable through the grommet 48 throughout the full range of tilting of the outdrive assembly 20 is provided with graduated indicia 52 which are of course registrable with the grommet 48. Accordingly, a person operating the boat 10 may readily ascertain whether or not the outdrive assembly is in the lowered position thereof illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings or the tilted position thereof illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings merely by glancing rearwardly and noting the amount the upper end portion of the staff 42 projects above the grommet 48. In addition, should the outdrive assembly 20 be provided with means whereby it may be trimmed during its operation, proper trimming of the outdrive assembly 20 may be accomplished by noting the vertical shifting of the staff 42 as the outdrive unit 20 is trimmed.

Although the tilt indicator of the instant invention illustrated and described herein is extremely simple and mechanical in nature, it is to be noted that the vertical shifting of the staff 42 could be sensed by a suitable component such as a transducer and that the movement-sensing transducer could be electrically connected to a remotely located indicator which might be positioned adjacent the helm of the boat 10.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a boat-mounted outdrive assembly of the type oscillatable both about a steering upstanding axis and a horizontal tilt axis and including an elongated extendable steering control having one end secured through a balland-socket joint mounted on said transom and a second end swivelly secured to said outdrive assembly rearwardly of said upstanding axis, an outdrive tilt indicator including an upright standard whose lower end is swivelly secured to said one end of said steering control at a point spaced inwardly from the transom, said boat including an upper guide portion with which the upper end portion of said standard is guidingly engaged.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said guide portion comprises a generally horizontal upper portion of the transom of said boat, said guide portion comprising a grommet secured through said horizontal upper portion.

3 In combination with a boat-mounted outdrive assembly of the type oscillatable both about a steering upstanding axis and a horizontal tilt axis, said outdrive assembly including a component thereof which is shifted vertically in response to said outdrive assembly being oscillated about said tilt axis, an outdrive tilt indicator connected to said component for vertical shifting therewith and including a portion projecting above the upper extremity of the transom of said boat for viewing from the front of the associated boat and indicating the elevation of said component relative to said transom by the elevation of said portion relative to said upper extremity 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said indicator comprises an upright staff whose lower end is swivelly connected to said component, said portion comprising the upper end of said staff.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said transom includes an upper guide portion with which the upper end of said staff is guidingly engaged for longitudinal shifting relative thereto.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said staff is spaced inward from the inner face of said transom. 

1. In combination with a boat-mounted outdrive assembly of the type oscillatable both about a steering upstanding axis and a horizontal tilt axis and including an elongated extendable steering control having one end secured through a ball-and-socket joint mounted on said transom and a second end swivelly secured to said outdrive assembly rearwardly of said upstanding axis, an outdrive tilt indicator including an upright standard whose lower end is swivelly secured to said one end of said steering control at a point spaced inwardly from the transom, said boat including an upper guide portion with which the upper end portion of said standard is guidingly engaged.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said guide portion comprises a generally horizontal upper portion of the transom of said boat, said guide portion comprising a grommet secured through said horizontal upper portion.
 3. In combination with a boat-mounted outdrive assembly of the type oscillatable both about a steering upstanding axis and a horizontal tilt axis, said outdrive assembly including a component thereof which is shifted vertically in response to said outdrive assembly being oscillated about said tilt axis, an outdrive tilt indicator connected to said component for vertical shifting therewith and including a portion projecting above the upper extremity of the transom of said boat for viewing from the front of the associated boat and indicating the elevation of said component relative to said transom by the elevation of said portion relative to said upper extremity.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said indicator comprises an upright staff whose lower end is swivelly connected to said component, said portion comprising the upper end of said staff.
 5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said transom includes an upper guide portion with which the upper end of said staff is guidingly engaged for longitudinal shifting relative thereto.
 6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said staff is spaced inward from the inner face of said transom. 